I pity the conservatives like Mike Rosen who have inappropriate object attachment syndrome. For the life of me, I cannot understand why this silly Keystone pipeline is such a big deal to them. How will the pipeline help anyone except TransCanada? The few thousand people hired to build the silly thing will be unemployed again in just a few years. The truth is TransCanada wants this pipeline to gain access to a port in Houston. They will be able to sell their tar sands sludge to the highest bidder, whether it is the Pacific Rim or Europe. If TransCanada will not give the U.S. a first right of refusal on every drop of sludge coming down that pipeline, there is absolutely no reason to build it.

Ken Lambdin, Centennial

This letter was published in the Sept. 2 edition.

Mike Rosen brings up big special-interest money in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race — both on behalf of Sen. Mark Udall, the Democrat, and Rep. Cory Gardner, the Republican. His conclusion is, at least in Udall’s case, the money is silencing any rational discussion of the Keystone pipeline.

The fact is out-of-state special-interest money and major political party money appear to be silencing the conversation on just about all the issues. Meanwhile, the independent voice of 36 percent of the voters in Colorado is shut out of mainstream dialogue, primarily for lack of money. Not enough TV advertising, no showing in polls (which only ask if voters would vote for Gardner or Udall); no reporters’ calls to independents for input on their stories about issues.

The party candidates only fight with each other; the public finds a 13 percent favorable rating for its elected Congress; but nothing changes in the system.

Steve Shogan, Englewood

The writer is an unaffiliated candidate in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race.

This letter was published in the Sept. 2 edition.

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Canada is our number one supplier of “foriegn” oil. We are the third biggest oil producer in the world, yet our oil producers still will export American oil even though we are a net importer of oil because the exports fetch a better value internationally than domestically; it is an international marketplace and very complex. Do we “need” a pipleline? or “should” we build a pipleline? or will Canada be forced to build their own refinery or pipeline if we delay?

Get ready to pay at the pump regardless of the pipleline, the world needs oil, and the world runs on the black gold

holyreality

Sinclair used to be the station with domestic oil. I don’t know if that is still the case company-wide, but I do know some stations do have their gasoline come from a small local distillery supplied by local wells. But I’d think this to be the exception.

peterpi

If I may,
You distill alcohol. You refine crude oil. Hence, “refinery”.

holyreality

Mea Culpa

GenePH

Ken Lambdin, Centennial appears off-base. Despite having used the word sludge twice in his letter, the pipeline will transport crude oil. And, the pipeline goes to refineries in the Gulf area, not to shipping port.

To Brubaker above, no argument that the world runs on oil. However, building the pipeline would certainly help alleviate the trend of increasing petro prices. Another factor will be replacing Obama and his anti-drilling policies.

eddie47

Okay instead of “sludge” lets use the term thick gooey tar sands which has to be chemically treated before it can be shipped. The tar sands are so thick they would clog up the pipeline like a thick sludge without being broken down with those chemicals. A very expensive process and when it arrives at Port Arthur, TX. (yes a shipping port) it has to have those chemicals removed BEFORE being refined into gas or another oil product. I also noticed you got your usual dig against Obama in when more oil is being drilled under his watch than under his predecessor so was that really necessary. Drilling has increased in Colorado, North Dakota and Texas plus in other regions.

GenePH

I’ll stand by my above statements. Twist away all you want. Obama has stopped off-shore drilling. Drilling in those state you mentioned has increased despite Obama, because of improved technology, and not on federal lands which Obama has still restrained.

Clarification; Obama has stopped new off-shore drilling.

eddie47

Most Americans don’t want our Federal Lands to be abused which includes National Parks . Oil companies have tried that tact in wanting access to our National Parks so where is the line drawn? You twisted Brubaker’s comment all to hell so be the hypocrite. What you are really saying is that Bush deserves credit for all drilling under his watch while Obama has nothing to do with this INCREASED drilling. Besides offshore drilling is still occurring so enough of your blanket statements.

Tbone

Huh? Obama just opened the east coast to oil exploration, overturning a reagan-area ban.

The pipeline would not lower prices at the pump. The oil will be exported.

holyreality

It is bitumen that tar sands produce. You good sir are exactly wrong on this.

If you have seen crude petroleum you would have seen a liquid you could pour out. Bitumen would remain in the bucket, it needs caustic chemicals to pour out. These chemicals will corrode the highest quality steel pipes constantly while in use.

It doesn’t stop there, once the pipeline inevitably ruptures the bitumen slurry will sink because it is heavy directly into the water table. The Ogallala Aquifer lies beneath much of the route. IOW, a spill can pollute our most precious ground water resource.

Then, THEN the route for the pipeline will require eminent domain seizure of thousands of farms along the route.

And this is all so Canadian corporations can acquire a market for their poison goods at US citizen’s expense.

peterpi

You’re right about bitumen, and I agree with your conclusion, but:
At the rate we’re depleting the Ogalalla aquifer, the water table will be falling faster than the spilled bitumen can reach it.

eddie47

Now you sound like an oil man trying to put frosting on a burnt cake. They also say there is no reason to worry about water contamination.

If the Frackers were lying, why should we believe the Keystone scammers?

eddie47

I’ve read about the contamination in Southwest Pennsylvania and still don’t believe Keystone Corp. has been very honest themselves.

peterpi

I was being sardonic/sarcastic.

holyreality

Depletion of our largest aquifer is another environmental disaster, spilling bitumen and the associated liquefying chemicals only destroys what remains.
It appears that you just throw up your hands in surrender.

peterpi

Please show me any long-term plan to preserve the Ogallala aquifer. We are draining it a thousand times faster than nature recharges it.
All of the conservation measures of the New Deal era helped the plains states start recovering from the Dust Bowl. What really brought about complete recovery was the discovery of the Ogallala aquifer. Irrigation, NOT dryland farming. What happens when it is no longer economically feasible for farmers to dig deeper and deeper wells to chase the falling water table?
Plus, modern agricultural practices have reversed a lot of the conservation measures of the 1930s. Tree belts? Mostly gone, for example. Following the contours of the land? Greatly reduced.
Southeastern Colorado has been suffering drought for more than a decade. Dust Bowl-like conditions have returned in isolated instances.
Humanity is terrific at being in denial until calamity hits.

holyreality

I wish there was a save the Ogallala campaign. It would be greeted with exaggerated eyerolls and suggestions of conspiracy theory.

toohip

I don’t see this as a local campaign issue for U.S. Senator, but rather an issue that faces this nation. Ken Lambdin, summed it up simply and accurately. The pro-oil Republicans have tried to sell this project being about “jobs.” The reality is (something foreign to “belief” conservatives), is that a total of 35 permanent jobs will be created according to a U.S. State Dept. study.

Generally, the largest economic impacts of pipelines occur during construction rather than operations. Once in place, the labor requirements for pipeline operations are relatively minor. Operation of the proposed Project would generate 35 permanent and 15 temporary jobs, primarily for routine inspections, maintenance, and repairs. Based on this estimate, routine operation of the proposed Pipeline would have negligible socioeconomic impacts.http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/205719.pdf

Here’s an analogy that will make the usual suspects head explode. . much like Russia is asserting it’s power and influence by force in the eastern european area, the oil and gas industry is doing likewise here, mostly in the west. “Pro-fracking” advertisements and endorsements are flooding the airwaves as citizens start to realize the negative impacts of fracking, and NIMBY results in local municipality bans, only to be overturned by a pro-oil activist judge. Throughout the country, oil and gas is using it’s wealth too leverage not only the local and state laws, but the hearts and minds of the people, that oil is good for the country. Just returning from Alaska there’s a referendum to repeal a huge cut on taxes for the oil and gas industry, and the deep pockets oil and gas companies are outspending the opposition, 25 to 1.

Don’t be surprised what deep pockets and “buy” today and it’s not just your local politician. . . . it’s you!

tomfromthenews

At least Ken Lambdin understands. The ads’ biggest “claim” is job creation and, indeed, these jobs will go away fast once the pipeline is complete. The sludge, oil, crude, whatever, travels through the US and goes ELSEWHERE and we don’t see any profit from it.

rwingrnuts

Ask Suncor Energy in Commerce City how much of the oil sands oil it runs through the 100,000 bbl/per day refinery there. Around 8,000 bbls. Because it’s so nasty.

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